SCHOOL OF HOUSING BUILDING & PLANNING

RET 561
CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY & INFRASTRUCTURE

SUPERVISED BY:
DR. HANIZAM AWANG

CONDUCTED BY:

ZAID SHAKER-PRM0131/08 MOSTAFA WALEED

PRM0040/08
BISAM A.ALHAFIZ-PRM0060/08 RANA HAMED-
PRM0129/08
M.VEERA VIGNESVARAN PRM0123/08
 PROPER DESIGN OF HIGHWAY
DRAINAGE SYSTEM

INTRODUCTION :

HIGHWAY is a term commonly

used to refer to a major roads
intended for travel by the public
between important destinations,
such as cities.
 DRAINAGE SYSTEM
In geomorphology, a drainage system is the pattern formed by the streams,
rivers, and lakes in a particular watershed. They are governed by the
topography of the land, whether a particular region is dominated by hard or
soft rocks, and the gradient of the land.

In agriculture, a drainage system is an intervention to control water

logging aiming at soil improvement for agricultural production.
In urban areas and highway, a drainage
system is a facility to dispose of Two types
of water:
o Surface water rain and snow

o Ground water can be a problem when a water

table is near surface
This presentation will discuss
the surface water
 The Highway Authority has a duty under highways to
maintain a safe road network and this duty includes
the need to drain the highway to avoid flooding.

Highway drainage systems : Is the system that

installed to capture surface water and Ground water
The advantage beyond that is to protect against
flooding and protect the fabric of the road.

The highway drainage system was developed in the

late 1980s and into the 90s through a public process.
 Appropriate drainage is an important feature of good
highway design in terms of ensuring required level of
service and value for money is achieved.

Highway drainage has two major objectives: safety of

the road user and long life of the pavement. Speedy
removal of surface water will help to ensure safe
and comfortable conditions for the road user.
 According to the Malaysian standard
the Surface drains components
include:
1. Interceptor drains,
2. Roadside drains,
3. Embankment toe drains,
4. Shoulder drains,
5. Bench drains,
BASICS OF DRAINAGE SYSTEM
Transverse slopes
Removes water from pavement surface
Facilitated by cross-section elements (cross-
slope, shoulder slope)

Longitudinal slopes
Minimum gradient of alignment to maintain
adequate slope in longitudinal channels

Longitudinal channels
Ditches along side of road to collect surface
water after run-of
TRANSVERSE SLOPE

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BASICS OF DRAINAGE SYSTEM
Transverse slopes
Removes water from pavement surface
Facilitated by cross-section elements (cross-
slope, shoulder slope)

Longitudinal slopes
Minimum gradient of alignment to maintain
adequate slope in longitudinal channels

Longitudinal channels
Ditches along side of road to collect surface
water after run-of
LONGITUDINAL
SLOPE

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BASICS OF DRAINAGE SYSTEM
Transverse slopes
Removes water from pavement surface
Facilitated by cross-section elements (cross-
slope, shoulder slope)

Longitudinal slopes
Minimum gradient of alignment to maintain
adequate slope in longitudinal channels

Longitudinal channels
Ditches along side of road to collect surface
water after run-of
LONGITUDINAL CHANNEL

13
 Based on these fundamental principles,
drainage methods are divided into two
categories:-

First one Separate systems, where the surface and

sub-surface are collected and transported in separate
pipes.

and second is Combined systems, where the surface

and sub-surface water are collected and transported
in the same pipe,

The most common and active systems are the

combined systems, thus this presentation discussed
these systems.
 Highway drainage combined
systems
Kerb and Gullies. 1
Surface Water Channel. 2
Combined Filter Drain(FrenchDrain). 3
Over-the-edge Drainage. 4
Drainage Channel Blocks (and Grips). 5
Combined Kerb and Drainage Units. 6
Linear Drainage Channels. 7
-Fin and Narrow Filter Drain (Sub. 8
Edge Drainage for Porous Asphalt. 9
(surface drainage
KERB AND GULLIES.1
Road surface drainage by kerbs and gullies is
commonly use, particularly in urban and embankment
conditions. The function of kerbs is not purely to act as
a barrier to retain storm runof from the road surface.
ADVANTAGES OF THIS
:SYSTEM
They also provide some structural support during
pavement construction and protect footpaths and
verges from vehicular overrun.
They are a safety hazard for high speed vehicles and
are generally not suitable for use on trunk roads
where speed is unlimited.
One advantage of kerb and gullies is that its ability to
carry road surface runof to outfall is not dependent
upon the longitudinal gradient of the road itself.
Road gullies will generally discharge to longitudinal
carrier pipes, which can be laid to fall independent of
the road gradient to meet the required flow capacity.
SURFACE WATER CHANNEL.2
Surface water channels are normally of
triangular/trapezoidal concrete section; they provide an
economic alternative to edge channels and are the Agencys
preferred edge-drain solution for rural locations (trunk
roads and motorways) Long length of channels, devoid of
interruptions, can be constructed quickly and fairly
inexpensively using slip-form techniques.
 They are capable of carrying large volumes of
water over long distances and channel outlets can
be located at appreciable spacing and to match
with watercourses thus avoiding the need for a
separate carrier pipe. They are easy to maintain
and any long-term problems developing can be
detected and monitored by simple visual
inspection from the surface.
COMBINED FILTER DRAIN.3
(FRENCH DRAIN)
The system commonly described as French drain
collects road run-ofs through the top of the
trench and sub-surface run-ofs through the
trench walls. This system is using an aggregate-
filled trench with a perforated or porous pipe at
the bottom.
 This drainage have been the traditional solution adopted
for rural roads for many years and due to the very open
texture of the filter material they provide for the rapid
removal of rainwater from the road and verge surfaces.

They have many Problems in this include: (a) stone

scatter by vehicle over-runs, (b) surface failures of
embankments caused by the extension of sub-base as a
drainage layer, and (c) possible softening of foundation
due to the drain becoming waterlogged at road
foundation level causing long term deterioration.
OVER-THE-EDGE DRAINAGE.4

This method is applicable to embankment

conditions where the carriageway surface water
is allowed to drain over the edge and down the
embankment slope directly into open ditches as
appropriate.
 Its use is therefore only advocated in situations where
the embankments are of low heights, shallow slopes
and constructed of good quality granule material.

Disadvantage of Over-the-edge drainage can cause soil

erosion, topsoil slippage, softening of the side slopes
and embankment instability.
DRAINAGE CHANNEL BLOCKS.5
(AND GRIPS)
These are small channels across the borders,
constructed of precast channel blocks in order to
allow drainage collected along a kerb channel to
drain across the edge into edge side ditches
constructed of larger precast channels.
 They are not permitted as edge drains nearby hard
shoulders, hard strips or carriageways. There is
potential maintenance difficulties associated with the
use of the system. Settlement of adjacent unpaved
surfaces would reduce their efectiveness.
COMBINED KERB AND DRAINAGE.6
UNITS
These are special kerb units that allow lateral
entry of surface water from the (kerb side)
channel either continuously or intermittently
into a continuous internal channel bore that acts
as a carrier drain.
 They are usually constructed of precast concrete units
either in one piece or comprised of a top and bottom
section which when laid will form a continuous closed
internal channel. The part of a unit projecting above
road level acts as a kerb and contains a pre-formed
hole, which admits water into the internal cavity.
Units are typically 400-500mm long and the pre-
formed holes thus occur at that spacing.
LINEAR DRAINAGE CHANNELS.7
These channels comprise of a longitudinal sub-
surface closed profile hydraulic conduit,
constructed of either precast units or in-situ
concrete, into which surface water is drained via
longitudinal or angled slots situated above the
conduit.
 The top of the system will be flush with the
adjacent surface from which surface water is
drained. Precast units may be of concrete, glass
reinforced concrete, polymer resins or similar
materials. In-situ construction is usually of
concrete using slip-form techniques. Although
precast units in small sections of this type have
been commercially available for many years, the
construction of larger sections by slip-forming
techniques is an innovative breakthrough in
highway application.
FIN AND NARROW FILTER.8
DRAIN (SUB-SURFACE DRAINAGE)
These are intended to be the normal methods of
sub-surface drainage on motorways and trunk
roads usually installed longitudinally along the
lower edges of road pavements.
 They act as low capacity filter drains to remove
and keep out water from the road structure in
order to ensure that the road structure does not
fail prematurely by softening of the sub-grade.
They also prevent ingress of water from verge
areas adjacent to the pavement.
The system although very efficient and simple in
its detail. Some major difficulties were reported,
particularly with narrow trenching and back
filling when it was first introduced some ten
years ago.
EDGE DRAINAGE FOR POROUS .9
ASPHALT
The use of porous asphalt on roads is primarily for
the purpose of noise reduction but it has the added
advantage of spray reduction, which enhances road
safety. The open texture of porous asphalt with
interconnecting voids which act as a drainage layer
underneath the road surface makes it necessary to
have a special edge detail for positive drainage.
INADEQUATE DRAINAGE
Damage to highway structures
Loss of capacity

Visibility problems with spray and loss of

retroreflectivity
Safety problems, reduced friction and

hydroplaning

Garber & Hoel, 2002

34
IMPROVEMENTS TO
DRAINAGE
Improvements SYSTEMS
to drainage systems comprise:

New water features, such as ponds, ditches and

lagoons. These should be designed not only to fulfil
their required function but also to be sensitive to the
local landscape and have ecological benefits.
New structures such as bridges, culverts, outfalls and
headwalls.
These should also be carefully located in the
landscape, be well designed and built out of
appropriate materials.
 MAINTENANCE OF
DRAINAGE SYSTEMS
This is an ongoing duty of the Highway Authority and
the maintenance program must balance diferent
needs:

o In areas where there are local drainage problems, work

may need to be carried out in drier conditions when access
is easier
o Maintenance of a system must not cause pollution
elsewhere. Waste from drains, gullies and kerb offlet
cleaning must be disposed of in an appropriate manner
o Maintenance must be carried out when it causes least
impact on local wildlife, avoiding annual breeding and plant
growing seasons
o Vegetation which obstructs a watercourse may require
specialised pruning or removal. Coppicing, for example of
willows, may be more efective than total removal as the root
growth can help bind river banks together.

o If erosion is occurring to the watercourse then bioengineering

solutions should be investigated such as the use of willow
faggots or spiles, biodegradable matting and planting tree
cuttings or marginal species, e.g. flag iris.

o There will often be ecological benefits to retaining open ditches

which could otherwise be culverted. Their value should be
properly assessed prior to any blocking of or culverting.

o The Land Drainage Act 1991 requires a licence to be obtained

o prior to filling in or culverting a watercourse.

REFERENCES

Manual of Contract Documents for Highway

Works Volumes 1, 2 & 3, HMSO Publication,
May 1998
Design Manual for Roads and Bridges Volume 4a,

HMSO Publication
Trunk Road Maintenance Manual, Volumes 1 &
2, HMSO Publication
Standard specification for road works-
MALAYSIA
AbsoluteAstronomy (2009), Indian highways,
www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Indian_highw
ays
 Babylon dictionary(2009), Babylon Ltd,
http://dictionary.babylon.com/Deranged_Drainage
THE END